Japan Synopsis
激動の昭和史 沖縄決戦
“The biggest and last fierce battle in history! 90 days of turbulence that burned green and life!”
The Americans are swiftly closing on Okinawa, an island just south of the Japanese mainland. The Imperial command sends top generals and several army divisions to defend it at all costs. The mission quickly degenerates as vital resources and troops are diverted to other islands. After a civilian evacuation ends in tragedy most of non-combatants are forced to remain on the island. Many convert to soldier status. Tokyo sends mixed messages that squander time and resources, as when they order the defenders to build an airstrip for aircraft that never come. The truth soon becomes obvious: the high command decides that the island cannot be held and effectively abandons the Okinawan defenders. When the Americans land many troops are deployed in the wrong places. As the slaughter mounts, a suicidal attitude takes hold. Okinawa becomes a death trap, for civilian volunteers and non-combatants as well.
The 1970–1972 Japan Window
58 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. The Battle of Okinawa sits at position #10.
Titles With Overlapping Themes
Films and series that share thematic tags with The Battle of Okinawa. Number on each card indicates how many keywords overlap.
Other Titles From TOHO
The 1970s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1970s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Battle of Okinawa premiered. 197 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #1,330 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (71st percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.6 points above the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan War productions specifically: #45 of 105 (top 43%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | TOHO |
| Runtime | 2h 29m |
| Release Date | August 14, 1971 |
| IMDb | tt0067523 |